Zhu Ao

189 A.D., Luoyang, Vermilion Bird Avenue, in front of the Office of the廷尉 (Minister of Justice).

As he approached the government office, the ruffian suddenly begged, "Young Master, please hear me out. I lead a wretched life, but I truly have my reasons."

Yuan Xi, having learned his lesson, did not dare to trust him easily. He sneered, "What? Does having hardships justify ignoring the laws of the land and engaging in illicit activities?"

The ruffian, dragging his whip-scarred body, knelt in the middle of the street and pleaded with Yuan Xi again, "I beg you, Young Master, forgive me this once. I am willing to tie grass and knot rings to repay your kindness."

"Oh?" Yuan Xi was intrigued by this. He had not expected such a ruffian to know the idiom about repaying kindness. In this era, education was concentrated within the aristocratic scholar class; ordinary families rarely had the opportunity to read.

"Follow me. Let's go somewhere else." With a sudden thought, Yuan Xi had Xu Chu lead the ruffian to a secluded corner. "Come now, tell me your origins."

The ruffian bowed his hands and said, "My name is Zhu Ao. I am originally from Yu Province. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion years ago, I followed my fellow villagers in fleeing to Sili. I have been drifting ever since, until the year before last, when it became impossible to make a living."

"We came to Luoyang to find a bite to eat, but I am truly useless and lack any skills. In desperation, I fell in with some idlers in the city and took up these deeds. It wouldn't matter if I were the only one starving and freezing."

"But I have an elderly mother and a brother. You are a man of reason and surely understand that 'when a family is poor, the parents are old.' I certainly cannot face the punishment of the law, but I cannot bear to see my mother suffer. I beg you, Young Master, to grant me a way to survive."

Yuan Xi found his speech somewhat unrefined yet coherent, and the man seemed clever. If he were truly a man of filial piety, it might be worth taking him into his service.

Yuan Xi then asked, "Tell me, are you literate?"

"Not really. Back in my hometown, I learned a few characters from a fortune-teller," he replied truthfully, fearing Yuan Xi might change his mind.

Yuan Xi sighed inwardly. Because of the wars and the extortion by corrupt officials, countless people were displaced, living lives worse than beasts. He was well aware of this. "Are you willing to work for me?"

"Eh?" Zhu Ao was startled. He did not expect such an offer. He immediately knelt and kowtowed, "It would be my fortune to serve you, Young Master. May I ask your name?"

Yuan Xi said calmly, "My surname is Yuan. You may simply call me the Second Young Master. You must swear an oath of loyalty to me; we can discuss the formal contract of servitude another day."

In the Eastern Han dynasty, people valued faith and loyalty highly. Was it not through faith and righteousness that Liu Bei traveled the world, never perishing despite a hundred defeats? One must never underestimate the power of such things.

"Yuan, Second Young Master? Could it be the talented scholar of the Yuan family?" Zhu Ao asked in pleasant surprise. He knew that even as a servant, having a powerful master would mean he finally had someone to rely on.

At that time, the prestige of the Yuan family, who had served as the Three Excellencies for four generations, was highly valuable. He had certainly heard of the Yuan family and Yuan Xi. Many people dreamt of being a dog for the Yuan family, yet they were not always accepted; he had not expected to encounter such a chance.

Men like him were well-informed about the gossip of the streets. It was precisely this that Yuan Xi valued; he needed intelligence.

"I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you, Young Master, and will never betray you." Without hesitation, Zhu Ao swore his oath of loyalty.

"Good. Come to the back gate of my residence tomorrow." Yuan Xi told him to return the next day, then he and Xu Chu mounted their horses and hurried back to the Yuan mansion.

It was the winter month; the days were short and the sun was setting. The remaining rays cast a blood-red glow over Luoyang, and the pedestrians on the streets were thinning.

"There are plenty of servants at home, Young Master. Why take in such a person of dubious character?" Xu Chu asked, clearly confused.

"Zhongkang, everyone has their strengths. Some tasks require men like him. One must use people according to their talents. Besides, the times are changing, and we must make preparations," Yuan Xi analyzed calmly.

Xu Chu listened, only half-understanding.

"By the way, Zhongkang, go to the gambling den later and have Hua Xu investigate this man's background," Yuan Xi instructed.

"Understood."

"By the way, did you understand what I meant?"

"Not really, but you are a man of wisdom, Young Master. Whatever you do must be right. Old Xu will just follow you, eat meat, drink wine, and fight."

Yuan Xi chuckled at this. "Your performance today was quite good. Go to the accountant, Mr. Wen, and ask him for a jar of aged wine."

In those days, wine was expensive, as it was made from grain, and in times of war, grain was a precious commodity. "I thank you, Young Master!" Xu Chu beamed.

Upon returning to the Yuan mansion, Yuan Xi sent Xu Chu to get the wine while he headed to the front hall. He arrived just in time for the evening meal, known as *sun*.

In the Qin and Han periods, people generally ate only two meals a day due to limited agricultural output. The first meal was called *zhaoshi* or *yong*, and the second *sun* or *shi*. However, a household like the Yuans ate three meals a day.

That evening, it was rare for both Yuan Wei and Yuan Shao to be present, three generations together. The eldest son, Yuan Tan, was in their ancestral home in Runan managing family affairs, and the third brother, Yuan Shang, had been sent to stay with their uncle in Hebei.

Yuan Wei, currently the Grand Tutor, was over sixty; he appeared kind-hearted and possessed the demeanor of an elder—at least on the surface. His father, Yuan Shao, was also dignified and imposing.

"I pay my respects to my father and grandfather," Yuan Xi said, bowing deeply.

"Come, come, take your seat." At Yuan Wei's invitation, Yuan Xi knelt at the end of the mat.

Seeing his beloved grandson arrive, Yuan Wei smiled. "Where has our family's 'Kirin' been today? Tell your grandfather and make me happy."

"Grandfather, you tease me. You are the true treasure of our family. I just returned from Vermilion Bird Avenue," Yuan Xi replied honestly.

"Good, good," Yuan Wei said, stroking his beard as he ordered the servants to bring the food.

Yuan Xi looked at the millet in the cauldron and sighed inwardly. In his previous life, he had eaten rice, but in the Han dynasty, while rice existed in the Central Plains, it was not yet widespread. Meals were generally made of steamed millet, wheat, or beans, while meat was boiled in an earthenware jar and sliced on a chopping board called a *zu*. This was the origin of the idiom, "Men are the knife and the chopping board; I am the fish and the meat."

Fortunately, the Yuan family was wealthy, so there were other exquisite dishes. Because it was a system of individual dining, servants brought food to each person one by one.

Among the aristocratic clans, particularly in a family like the Yuans, etiquette was paramount. Yuan Xi had to be careful with every movement while dining with his elders, which felt stifling and oppressive. Fortunately, his elders held him, the "Kirin" of the Yuan family, in high regard and did not impose too many demands on him.

Later, as Emperor Xuanwu of the Taizong dynasty, Yuan Xi, having grown tired of such an oppressive life in his youth, would promote individualism after founding his own dynasty, which eventually gave rise to the bold and expressive spirit of the Jin dynasty.

A family's prosperity is built by the continuous struggle and succession of generations, as well as the inheritance of family learning. Thus, Emperor Xuanwu decreed that all Yuan descendants must study the *Classic of History*. Those who failed their studies were demoted or fined, and after three generations, they would be struck from the clan register.

Therefore, Yuan Xi had ordered Gao Rou to be in charge of the compilation of the *Classic of History*, and invited the great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan to revise it. This was the foundation of the Yuan family.